Canned lima beans offer convenience and approximately the same nutritional value as frozen or freshly cooked beans. Some B vitamins are lost during canning, but lima beans remain a robust source of folate and vitamin B-6 and an even better source of iron and magnesium. In addition to their nutrients, canned lima beans give you a boost of dietary fiber, fat-free protein and complex carbohydrates for energy.

Macronutrients

Lima beans are canned and labeled according to the size of the bean rather than the variety. One cup of canned lima beans has 190 calories, no fat and 36 grams of energy-providing carbohydrates. The same portion contains 12 grams of protein, or 26 percent of a woman’s and 21 percent of a man’s recommended daily allowance. Feel free to stock the pantry with canned lima beans because the canning process preserves them for at least two years.

Fiber

Dietary fiber provides significant health benefits, but most Americans consume less than half of the recommended daily allowance, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Soluble fiber lowers cholesterol and prevents a spike in blood sugar after you eat. Insoluble fiber keeps your digestive system regular and prevents diverticular disease, which can occur when small pouches form and bulge from the wall of your colon. One cup of canned lima beans has 11.6 grams of total fiber, or 46 percent of a woman’s and 31 percent of a man’s recommended daily allowance.

Vitamins

One cup of canned lima beans supplies 17 percent of your recommended daily allowance of vitamin B-6 and 30 percent of folate. These vitamins lower levels of the amino acid homocysteine by converting it into other beneficial compounds. Lima beans may therefore keep your heart healthy because high levels of homocysteine are associated with cardiovascular disease.

Minerals

You’ll get at least 10 percent of your recommended daily allowance of eight minerals from 1 cup of canned lima beans, but they’re especially good sources of iron and magnesium. Iron is best known for carrying oxygen throughout your body, but it also supports your immune system. Magnesium relaxes muscles in your heart and blood vessels, which maintains your heartbeat and helps lower blood pressure. One cup of canned lima beans supplies 24 percent of a woman’s daily allowance of iron and 29 percent of the recommended amount of magnesium. Men get 55 percent of their recommended daily allowance of iron and 22 percent of magnesium from lima beans.

Serving Tips

Drain lima beans and enjoy them straight out of the can by adding them to your favorite tossed salad. Saute zucchini, yellow squash and onions in olive oil, add canned lima beans and serve the mixture over brown rice. Combine canned lima beans, sliced tomatoes and fresh basil and drizzle them with your favorite vinaigrette for a nutritious side dish.

Sodium Warning

If you don’t buy salt-free brands of canned lima beans, you'll consume 810 milligrams of sodium in 1 cup of these canned beans compared with only 4 milligrams in the same portion of their fresh, boiled counterparts. The daily allowance for sodium is 1,500 milligrams, so this portion of canned lima beans will supply 54 percent of your daily allowance. Eating too much sodium raises your blood pressure and increases your risk of cardiovascular disease. Because 99 percent of all adults in the U.S. get more than the daily allowance for sodium, favor salt-free varieties of canned lima beans to get the benefits of this nutritional food without the risk of consuming too much salt.

Resources

About the Author

Sandi Busch received a Bachelor of Arts in psychology, then pursued training in nursing and nutrition. She taught families to plan and prepare special diets, worked as a therapeutic support specialist, and now writes about her favorite topics – nutrition, food, families and parenting – for hospitals and trade magazines.